Love Is
by Twin-books
Summary: "What is love?" "Excuse me?"


There's nothing Bridgette loved more than spending time with her friends. Today they had decided to head out for some coffee. They hadn't done a fun group activity like that in a while. School had been a heavy distraction. It was exciting to get to spend some extra special time with her friends again. She was smiling ear to ear as Claude chatted on and on about a series of events that had happened to him not too long before they met up. She was finding great humor in it.

"Is that Felix?" Allegra asked, interrupting Claude, much to his disappointment. Bridgette stopped in place and her heart started fluttering a bit. The mention of Felix made her feel extremely happy yet nervous all at once. She looked around and eventually her eyes rested on a familiar handsome figure. Her heart sped up faster and a small goofy smile made its way onto her face.

"Yeah. Looks like it. Seems like something is bothering him." Alan replied.

"When is something not bothering him?" Claude said, clearly uninterested in the new topic. Allegra rolled her eyes at Claude and Bridgette hardly noticed when her focus drifted on her. She was so mesmerized by that boy only yards away from her. However, her heart sank at his perplexed expression. Felix wasn't the kind of guy to be confused often. She knew for a fact he hated being confused and not having answers.

"Maybe one of us should go and ask him to join us." Allegra mentioned.

"Do we have to?" Claude groaned but was ignored as Bridgette looked up at Allegra. Bridgette blinked a bit in slight confusion.

"Well clearly none of these boys are interested in going over there and asking him," Alan opened his mouth to protest but Allegra continued talking,"Would you mind, Bri?" Allegra smiled wider and Bridgette blushed a bit, very much aware now what Allegra was really after. She nodded and turned to head towards the tall male. She held in her giggles at Claude's very verbal protests, too distracted by the thought of speaking with Felix.

Upon approaching, Bridgette found that her presence was unnoticed. It was odd for Felix. He was usually more observant. He seemed lost in thought. She cleared her throat, "Bonjour, Felix!" She watched him blink in surprise and turn his head to face her. His expression grew more grumpy and Bridgette would be lying if she said it wasn't a bit hurtful.

"What do you want?" He said, rather rudely. That was also oddly unlike Felix. He wasn't known to be very kind, sure. Quite sarcastic even, but he was normally well mannered and polite. To say Bridgette was curious about this was a bit of an understatement.

"Um... I just wanted to ask if you would like to get coffe-"

"No."

"But, I-"

"No."

"Oh." Bridgette was sadly used to this behavior. She looked down at her feet, defeated. She turned to leave but something stopped her and she quickly turned back around. "Is something bothering you?"

Felix's eyes grew wide. He seemed surprised. She supposed it was because he was used to her leaving after coldly refusing her advances but part of her suspected he never expected her to ask. "I'm... sorry?"

"Is something bothering you?" Bridgette repeated. She could see the gears turning in Felix's head. She could only assume he was trying to calculate the best way to answer her and get her to leave him alone. He always was a loner and that's what saddened her most. He opened his mouth a few times to speak but would quickly close it, contemplating. Finally she found his face seemed to look at her softer than before, something she was not used to from him but a welcomed change.

"Yes." He simply answered.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"No." Bridgette frowned at his answer and contemplated whether she should even bother to press but then he spoke again. "But, I think I need to." She looked up quickly and gazed into his eyes, surprised. Slowly a smile spread across her face.

"I'm free, if you would like to discuss it with me, that is." She blushed but continued to beam at him. At first Felix didn't seem to thrilled at the idea but then he nodded at her.

"Actually, I think you are just the person I need to talk to about this, if you don't mind."

"I wouldn't mind at all." She turned to face her friends and found them glancing back at her, clearly curious. "You guys go on ahead without me, okay? I'll catch up!" She called to them. She watched Allegra and Alan smile while Claude frowned. They began to walk off, Claude lingering a bit before Alan dragged him away. She giggled and turned back to Felix. "How can I be of help?"

Felix seemed frozen for a bit, staring at her group of friends, watching them leave. It was as if he didn't expect them to do that. Had he never made friends before? He quickly shook his head and looked back at her. "Yes. I have a rather... awkward question." He looked around and led her to bench and they both took a seat.

"I never pegged you as the kind of guy to ask awkward questions, Felix." Bridgette giggled but Felix didn't seem to react much to that. She rubbed her neck, shyly. "I'm sorry. What is it?"

"What is love?"

"Excuse me?" Bridgette seemed shocked at the question but was more bewildered at the fact that Felix had asked her this.

"What is love?"

"I know what you said, Felix, I'm just surprised."

"Why?"

"You just-"

"Don't seem like the type of guy to care about love?" Felix finished for her. Bridgette blushed and nodded. She immediately apologized if that had upset him but Felix just shook his head. "It's fine. I am a bit surprised myself."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You see, I noticed I have these curious infatuations for a girl. I can't help but notice every little detail about her and I suspect what I feel is romantic interest, but I have never felt it before." Bridgette listened intently and nodded. She felt a small bit of a pain in her heart at the mention of this girl he seemed to have grown attracted to but she didn't let that stop her. "I have tried to charm her but she seems very uninterested in my advances." She tried not to laugh at the irony in that statement. "I have told her I love her but she does not agree with me. I can't help but feel I am misunderstanding something which is why I ask what is love?"

"That's easy. It's that wonderful feeling you get whenever you see that someone you love. It could be a family member, a friend, or a partner. They all feel kind of different yet very similar. I think romance is the most wonderful of all. You spend all your minutes thinking about them and how to make them happy. There's that sudden nervousness and thrill you get in your chest when you see them. They are the center of your world." Bridgette smiled up at him but grew concerned when Felix looked confused.

"I'm sorry. I do not understand. Love is a negative feeling?" Felix inquired.

"No!" Bridgette cried. "Well, I mean, sometimes it can be depending on whether the other person loves you just as much back..."

"But, that doesn't make sense. What makes love worth it then, if you have a chance to be shot down? What business does it have being negative and positive emotion? What is love?"

Bridgette rubbed her arms and looked to the ground. She normally found this topic so easy but Felix had her questioning whether she really knew what love was herself. She sat there in concentration and she could feel Felix growing impatient. She barely noticed him stand up, she was so lost in her thoughts. "I see... I suppose you don't know either." She didn't even register his words as an idea suddenly formed and she stood up.

"Love is an active verb!"

"An active... verb?"

"Yes!"

"Please elaborate." Felix said, turning towards her.

"Love isn't just an emotion, it's an action. Love isn't just about showing it and saying it, it's about doing it. True love is waking up every day and deciding to love that person, to take care of that person, to be there for that person! Love is an emotion in action." Bridgette's smile grew wider and wider as she talked and Felix looked at her, stunned. "It's the decision to act upon it and give it your best shot. Like a job, except hopefully what you get as payment is that person returning those same actions... And sometimes they don't... And that's okay because you did your best and you gave it everything." Bridgette hugged her sides and looked to the ground, shyly. "That's what love is."

"Love is an active verb..." Bridgette looked up at Felix and found a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Now that makes sense."

"I'm glad I could be of help." Bridgette cheerfully said. "You know, if you ever want to ask me anymore questions, feel free to ask." Felix nodded. She looked at the ground again. "Um... I guess I'll leave you be, now. My friends are probably worried about me." Bridgette turned to leave but was caught by surprise when a hand clamped around her wrist. She looked back and met Felix's cool, blue eyes.

"Thank you for helping me."

"You're very welcome, Felix. It was really no big deal. I'm glad I could help."

"No, thank you. No one ever cared to ask about this but you gladly jumped at the opportunity. I regret how I treated you before hand. Thank you, Bridgette. I mean it." Bridgette searched his eyes for some sign of sarcasm or deception but smiled warmly when all she found was sincerity.

"Thank you for letting me. And please, call me Bri."

"Why?"

Bridgette looked back at him, slightly confused. "That's just what my friends call me."

"Why don't they call you Bridgette?"

"I suppose Bri is just easier to say."

"But Bridgette is a beautiful name." Felix said. Bridgette blushed and was pleasantly surprised when she found Felix's cheeks turn pink. "I just don't understand why they wouldn't want to say it, is all."

"If it bothers you that much then call me Bridgette." Felix's blushed more and Bridgette giggled. He looked away from her in a futile attempt to hide his embarrassment. Bridgette only smiled wider. He quickly let go of her wrist after realizing he had been holding it all this time.

"Yes, well, good. Thank you, Bridgette." Felix said, having a hard time looking her in the eye. Bridgette found this side of him very adorable and she only wished she could see it longer. Then a thought occurred to her.

"You know, the offer for coffee is still open. Are you sure you don't want to come?" Her heart raced faster in anticipation. Hope was diminishing when he looked to the side. She was prepared to be rejected again and nearly frowned when he suddenly looked up at her.

"I would be glad to join you, Bridgette, but I get the feeling your friends are not very fond of me." Felix said.

"Nonsense!" Bridgette cried, grabbing hold of his wrist. "They just haven't got the chance to get to know you, is all. You aren't one to be very open."

"Yes, well, I could see that as an obstacle-woah!" Felix cried as Bridgette dragged him along.

"Just you wait! They'll love you in no time!" She looked back at him and smiled brighter than ever before. "I know I do!" Then she turned to face her new goal. She didn't notice his unusual smile as she led him along to the popular little coffee shop in town.


End file.
